Long before Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Eddie Jefferson, James Moody and King Pleasure, there was Beatrice C. "Bee" Palmer (1894-1967). Here she is singing Ted Koehler's lyrics to Bix Beiderbecke's improvised solo on a 1929 recording of "Singin' the Blues" with the Frank Trumbauer Orchestra. Bee Palmer was best known as a shimmy dancer, vaudeville performer and Ziegfeld Girl, who toured with her Oh Bee! show. Her test recordings were rejected and never issued by Columbia.

A more listenable vocalese version of "Singin' the Blues" was recorded in 1934 by Marion Harris (1896-1944).